Waiting in lines in Austin has become somewhat of a rite of passage. Be it a new coffee shop, a counter service pizza place or even a bakery, people are willing to join the queue and pay good money for their small indulgences.
But in the North Loop neighborhood, when people line up once a month on weekends, their reward is a little sweet treat that is free. No cash, no cards, just a smiling woman behind a table offering a pick-me-up in a park.
Sarah Mason is the baker and organizer behind Free Bakery North Loop. She said it all started after she created an pastry curriculum for herself to get a better grasp of technical baking.
“As a big fan of the Great British Baking Show, my thought was I want to feel like I could go in that tent and actually know what I’m doing,” she said.
Perfecting baked goods often requires making them over and over again, and soon Mason had a surplus.
“I was already giving them away to neighbors and friends,” she said, “and then I saw online all of these people who had little free bakery boxes, similar to the little free libraries, and I thought that might be a great way to get rid of some of these baked goods and expand the reach of people I’m giving these to.”
Isak Kotecki for KUT News
People wait in line for free baked goods at Mason’s pop-up bakery in North Loop.
She had already used TikTok to document her bakes, so she announced her first pop-up there, thinking it would probably just reach locals. But a few days before the event, 100,000 people had viewed the video. She quickly realized she needed to bake a lot more.
All the treats were gone within an hour of the first pop-up, Mason said. Since then, she’s increased the number of cookies, pastries and cake slices on offer. Each pop-up costs Mason a couple hundred dollars that she was putting into other hobbies before.
“This has become my hobby,” she said. “It’s still very rewarding for me. I’m getting to practice and learn new skills.”
Mason said sweets aren’t the only thing people come for.
“People very much want community right now. There are a lot of bad things happening in the world and sometimes we all feel like we could be doing more,” she said.
Sarah Anguiano and Ephraim Kamel went to a pop-up earlier this year after having seen previous events on social media.
“I’ve always wanted to come to one, and I don’t know why I haven’t. And then I saw that she was having one again, and the almond croissant cookie really was calling for me,” Anguiano said. “It was delicious. I’m trying to savor this last little bit that I have.”
The cookie wasn’t all Anguiano left with. While she was waiting in line, she made a friend and made plans to meet up later for coffee.
“We both said like, ‘Wow, this is cool, like that’s what this little community was for,’ you know, so I’m excited,” Anguiano said.
Mason’s isn’t the only free bakery in town. There’s one up near the Domain and more on the way.
Lindsey Crawford said she was inspired by Mason to start a little free bakery on the East Side after taking up baking as a hobby.
Lorianne Willett
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KUT News
Mason holds a “Little Free Bakery” event once a month, giving out free baked treats in her neighborhood park.
“I just kind of liked how she had found a positive way to influence the community once a month, and it made her feel good and it makes those people feel good,” she said, “and that stood out to me.”
During her first pop-up, Crawford made cinnamon-swirl banana bread, salted caramel brownies and blueberry cream cheese danishes. She set it up as a “take what you need, pay what you can” model since some people want to donate.
Crawford said that in the first round, she was able to raise $120 for the American Immigration Council. Since then, she’s started doing paid events to fund her free bakery pop-ups.
Mason said she hopes to see Austin’s little free bakery network continue to grow.
“These little bakeries have really shown me that people want connection,” she said. “And this is helpful for people to have somewhere to go and get a treat — that’s great — but talk to people [and] feel like they’re part of something.”
The next Free Bakery North Loop is on Sunday at 10 a.m. at Bruning Green. It will feature big Texas flavors, such as Texas sheet cake, kolaches and Buc-cee’s finest beaver nuggets.